How To Grow Cordyline Fruticosa

Cordyline fruticosa (kor-di-LY-nee froo-tih-KOH-sah) is the ti plant, also sold as Hawaiian ti, good luck plant and cordyline. It’s a broadleaf evergreen shrub grown for one thing above all: big, glossy leaves in green, red, pink, purple and burgundy that bring a tropical look to a patio, a garden bed or a bright room.

It was long sold as Cordyline terminalis, and you’ll still see that name on plant tags. UF/IFAS Extension, NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden all list the ti plant in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). That’s the same family as the popular Dracaena varieties, but the ti plant is not a dracaena. More on that below.

Where does it come from? Sources describe the home range a little differently: tropical Southeast Asia, eastern Australia and some Pacific islands, including Hawaii, or simply Australia and the Western Pacific islands.

Hundreds of cultivars are named. Cordyline Red Sister, a red-to-pink type, is one you’ll find in many garden centers.

Cordyline Fruticosa Quick Care Tips

• Botanical name: Cordyline fruticosa
• Old names (synonyms): Cordyline terminalis, Dracaena terminalis, Convallaria fruticosa, Terminalis fruticosa
• Common names: Ti plant, Hawaiian ti plant, good luck plant, cabbage palm, cabbage tree
• Family: Asparagaceae (the asparagus family)
• Hardiness zones: 9B to 11B (UF/IFAS); 10 to 12 (NC State, Missouri Botanical Garden)
• Size (species): 3 to 15 feet tall, depending on the source; more often 3 to 6 feet as a houseplant
• Light: Bright, indirect light indoors; avoid harsh afternoon sun
• Temperature: 65 to 85°F indoors; not below 50°F; some guides call for a 65°F winter minimum; avoid cold drafts
• Humidity: 40 to 60% indoors; prefers high humidity
• Soil: Rich, well-drained, slightly acidic mix; no perlite
• Water: Moist but not wet; water less from fall to late winter; use distilled, rain or filtered water
• Watch for: Fluoride damage (brown tips), mealybugs, scale, spider mites, leaf spots, root rot
• Propagation: Stem sections (ti logs), tip cuttings, air layering
• Safety: Toxic to dogs, cats and horses if eaten; handling can irritate skin

Is Cordyline Fruticosa a Dracaena?

No. The ti plant is a Cordyline, and Dracaena is a different genus. The mix-up is easy to make. One of its old botanical names is Dracaena terminalis, and University of Hawaii Extension (CTAHR) lists “common dracaena” and “dracaena” among its common names. NC State says the ti plant is often confused with Dracaena fragrans.

Two quick checks tell them apart:

• Leaf stalks: Cordyline leaves have grooved petioles (leaf stalks). Dracaena leaves have none.
• Roots: Cordyline roots are white. Dracaena roots are orange or yellow.

Older references file the ti plant under other families too, including Agavaceae and, in a 2007 guide, Laxmanniaceae. Current listings place it in Asparagaceae.

If a true dracaena is what you’re after, start with the red-edged Dracaena marginata, the low-light Janet Craig dracaena, the bright Dracaena Lemon Lime or the dwarf Dracaena Compacta.

What’s in the Name?

NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden both say the genus name comes from the Greek word kordyle, meaning club. The species name, fruticosa, means shrubby.

You’ll see many common names. NC State lists Baby Doll ti plant, cabbage palm, cabbage tree, good-luck plant, Hawaiian good luck plant, Hawaiian ti plant and ti plant.

‘Baby Doll’ is also the name of a small-leaved cultivar: University of Hawaii Extension describes it as having small, maroon leaves trimmed with a pink edge, and so does UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County. ‘Red Sister’ is a cultivar too, not another name for the species.

Cordyline Fruticosa Care

Size and Growth

How big a ti plant gets depends on where it grows, and sources give different ranges: from 3 to 10 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide, with leaves 8 to 18 inches long, up to 9 to 15 feet tall and 3 to 8 feet wide, with leaves up to 30 inches long and 6 inches wide. Up to 10 feet, with leaves 1 to 2 feet long, is another common figure. As a houseplant, it more often grows 3 to 6 feet tall.

The leaves are clustered in spirals at the stem tips. As the plant ages, it loses its lower leaves. The older leaves turn yellow and drop, leaving rings of leaf scars on the stem, and some yellowing of older leaves is normal.

Leaf color depends on the cultivar, and growing conditions often change it.

Flowering and Fragrance

Outdoors in warm climates, ti plants bloom on a branched flower stalk about a foot long. The flowers appear in spring or summer in white, pink, lavender or yellow; they are small and fragrant, often white to pale lavender. Red berries follow.

Indoors, don’t count on flowers. Potted plants rarely flower or fruit. The leaves are the show anyway.

Light

Bright light brings out the best color. Ti develops its best leaf color in bright light and needs about 4 hours of direct sun or bright, indirect light indoors. Try a spot within 4 to 8 feet of a large south-, east- or west-facing window; bright, indirect light keeps the foliage colors bright.

Too little light has a cost. In very low light, new growth gets stretched and poor in color. Too much harsh sun is a problem too. Too much direct afternoon sun can scorch the leaves, and brightly colored cultivars burn easily in full sun.

Outdoors, the ti plant grows in full sun, partial shade or full shade. Moving a plant from shade into sun? Make the shift gradually over several days to weeks, or the leaves will sunburn. Ti is also only fairly wind-tolerant and needs a windbreak in windy spots.

Temperature, Humidity and Hardiness

Indoors, aim for 65 to 85°F and a spot away from cold drafts. The plant does best at 65 to 95°F and does not tolerate temperatures below 50°F; some guides call for a winter minimum of 65°F.

Humidity matters. Ti prefers 40 to 60% humidity indoors, and low light, low humidity and hot, dry air can cause leaf loss. The plant prefers high humidity, a humidifier may be needed indoors, and the leaf tips turn brown if the air is too dry.

Outdoors, the zone ranges differ by source: zones 9B to 11B, or 10 to 12. The plant does best in zone 10; in zone 9b, keep it in containers so you can move it to shelter when needed. Missouri Botanical Garden says that in the United States it can be grown outdoors only in far southern Florida, the southwestern United States and Hawaii.

In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or outdoors in a seasonal display. If your ti plant spends the summer outside, bring it in before nights get cold; it does not tolerate temperatures below 50°F.

Watering

Aim for evenly moist, never soggy. Keep the well-drained mix moist but not wet and avoid extremes, because excessive drying between waterings causes tipburn and dead leaf margins, and overwatering leads to disease.

Ease off in the cool months. Let the plant dry out a bit between waterings and water less from late fall to late winter: consistently moist soil from spring to fall, then a rest with less water from fall to late winter.

How much drought can it take? Not much. Its drought tolerance is rated moderate, but it can tolerate only brief periods of drought and is intolerant of prolonged drought.

Water the soil, not the leaves. Avoiding overhead watering helps control leaf spots and stem rot. Use a pot with drainage holes and never let the plant sit in water.

Fluoride and Brown Leaf Tips

Brown leaf tips on a ti plant? Check the water first. University of Hawaii Extension (CTAHR) says ti plants are highly sensitive to fluoride from air, water, potting media or fertilizer. The damage shows up as tipburn and dead leaf margins, then mottling toward the center of the leaf. It recommends water, potting media and fertilizers low in fluoride, with irrigation water under 0.25 ppm. Penn State Extension gives the same 0.25 ppm limit, and fluoride toxicity is a well-known ti plant problem.

The easy fix is to use distilled, rain or filtered water. Letting tap water stand overnight removes chlorine, not fluoride.

Dry air and uneven watering cause brown tips too, so rule those out. Our guide to brown tips on houseplants walks through every cause.

Soil and Repotting

Plant in a rich, well-drained mix. Ti grows best in fertile, moist, well-drained, acidic soil high in organic matter, with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. To head off fluoride damage, keep the pH between 6.0 and 6.5 and don’t use a potting mix with perlite. For pots, use a well-drained loamy soil or a well-drained, peat-based potting mix.

In the ground, the ti plant adapts to clay, sand and loam, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Keep it away from salt: its salt tolerance is poor, and it is intolerant of salt spray. That matters if you garden near the coast.

University of Hawaii Extension says you can move potted ti plants into larger containers as they grow. Tall plants can get top-heavy, so a sturdy, heavy pot helps keep them from tipping over.

Fertilizer

NC State says fertilizing several times a year helps plants keep their color. For potted ti, University of Hawaii Extension says slow-release fertilizers work best. Follow the product label for amounts.

A few cautions come with that. Don’t use superphosphate fertilizer, which is a fluoride problem, like perlite. Fertilizer or leaf-shine chemicals can also kill very young leaves, so keep fertilizer off the growing point and young leaves and use leaf-shine products carefully. If you use a liquid fertilizer, rinse it off the foliage so fertilizer salts don’t damage the emerging leaf.

Grooming and Maintenance

Grooming is simple. Cut or pull off lower leaves that turn yellow or brown or show leaf spots, and prune to control size. A tall, leggy plant can be rejuvenated by cutting the stems back to 6 inches above the soil, so new shoots grow lower on the stem. Cutting stems at different heights gives a fuller, staggered look.

Indoors, the leaves collect dust. Wipe them with a soft, damp cloth.

How To Propagate Cordyline Fruticosa

There are four ways to propagate ti: stem sections, tip (terminal) cuttings, seeds and air layering. To keep a cultivar’s color, use cuttings. Plants grown from seed vary widely in size, leaf color and shape, and named cultivars are propagated vegetatively.

• Stem sections (ti logs): Cut a bare stem into pieces 1 inch long or longer. Set them upright with three-fourths of the length buried, or lay them on their side with about 1/4 inch of the stem’s thickness covered, in vermiculite or a peat moss and sand mix. Keep them moist and in partial shade. Cuttings root in 2 to 4 weeks, a section laid on its side can sprout several plants, and rooting hormone is not necessary. You can also set ti logs on a bed of moist gravel until roots appear.
• Tip cuttings: A cluster of leaves with about 6 inches of stem roots quickly and makes a well-shaped plant in 4 to 6 months.
• Rooting in water: Use a cutting at least 6 inches long, with about an inch of the end in water. Change the water occasionally, and pot the cutting up once it has a strong root system, before the roots get very long.
• Air layering: An air-layered branch takes a couple of months to root.
• Seeds: Fresh seeds germinate in 2 to 6 weeks when sown about 1/4 inch deep and kept moist and warm. Just remember the seedlings won’t all look like their parent.

Once a new plant has a good root system, move it into its own pot and care for it like a mature plant.

Ti Plant Pest and Disease Problems

Check the undersides of leaves and the leaf bases from time to time. NC State lists aphids, scale insects, spider mites, fungus gnats, thrips and mealybugs, and UF/IFAS adds nematodes. University of Hawaii Extension says spider mites feed mainly on the undersides of the leaves. Read more about controlling spider mites.

These home-scale controls work:

• Mealybugs: Dab them with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol, pick them off, or wash the plant with soapy water and a soft brush or cloth.
• Scale: Wash with soapy water, remove with an alcohol-soaked swab, or use a horticultural oil.
• Spider mites: A forceful spray of water helps keep populations down.
• Aphids: Insecticidal soap, the safest and most effective control.

Before you use alcohol, test it. UC IPM says a solution of 70% or less isopropyl alcohol in water can be dabbed on mealybugs, and to test it on a small part of the plant a day or two beforehand to make sure it doesn’t burn the leaves. Whatever you spray, read the label first: the pesticide label is the law.

Diseases

Provide good air circulation and avoid overwatering or soggy soil. These are the diseases to know:

• Bacterial leaf spot and stem rot: Leaves and stems turn wet and slimy, cuttings rot, and the roots of established plants turn black and die. Buy disease-free plants and discard infected ones.
• Fusarium leaf spot: Tan to red-brown oval spots with a bright yellow halo on the tips of young leaves (Penn State).
• Fusarium stem and root rot: A fungus, not a bacterium. Lower leaves yellow and wilt, roots turn brown and mushy, and a soft rot at the base of cuttings or rooted plants often has a purplish or reddish edge. Remove and destroy affected plants.
• Phyllosticta leaf spot: Small, round to irregular spots on older leaves, with purple borders and yellow halos.
• Phytophthora leaf spot: Leaves near the soil turn water-soaked, with brown, irregular dead areas. Plant in pasteurized mix and discard infected plants.
• Cercospora leaf spot: Rectangular yellow to brown spots between the leaf veins. Water early in the day, avoid overhead watering, space plants out and remove diseased leaves (University of Hawaii).

For the leaf spots, avoid overhead watering, apply a fungicide to protect healthy plants if needed, and remove diseased leaves. Check new plants carefully before you bring them home.

Is Cordyline Fruticosa Toxic or Poisonous?

Yes, for pets. The ASPCA lists the ti plant as toxic to dogs and cats. It names saponins as the toxic principle and lists vomiting (occasionally with blood), depression, loss of appetite, drooling and dilated pupils (in cats) as signs. NC State adds horses to the list.

For people, the toxicity is rated low, but eating the plant can cause stomach upset. Supervise children and pets around the plant and wear gloves when handling it because of the risk of skin irritation. Saponins in the sap can cause contact dermatitis. If you think a pet has eaten some, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

UF/IFAS adds that saponins in the sap can cause contact dermatitis. If you think a pet has eaten some, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Is the Plant Considered Invasive?

UF/IFAS Extension lists the ti plant as not known to be invasive.

Suggested Cordyline Fruticosa Uses

The ti plant is all about foliage. Use it as a specimen or accent, in mass plantings, in containers or above-ground planters, or as a houseplant in bright indirect light. Pair it with other bold tropicals such as crotons, gingers, heliconias and philodendrons, softened by ferns or cast iron plant, over a base of liriope or mondo grass. It also works for hedges, screens and foundation plantings, with plants set 2 to 3 feet apart for massing.

In colder climates, it makes a good houseplant for bright areas with high enough humidity.

The ti plant also has deep roots in Hawaiian culture. Early Polynesians believed the plant had divine power and planted it around homes to ward off evil and bring good fortune, and it is still believed to bring good luck. Ti leaves are used to wrap food for cooking and to make hula skirts, and they have been used for thatch, rain capes, sandals and even sleds. Hawaiians also steamed the sweet ti root (the edible rhizomes) in underground ovens and ate it. That’s history, not a snack suggestion: the plant is toxic to pets.

Want to grow a specific cultivar? See our guides to Hawaiian ti plant care and Cordyline Red Sister.

Do you grow a ti plant indoors or out? Tell us which color you have and where it lives.